Communication Specialist at United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

Duties and Responsibilities

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment. Its mandate is to coordinate the development of environmental policy consensus by keeping the global environment under review and bringing emerging issues to the attention of governments and the international community for action. UNEP’s Ecosystems Division works with international and national partners, providing technical assistance and capacity development for the implementation of environmental policy, and strengthening the environmental management capacity of developing countries and countries with economies in transition. This post is located in the Ecosystems Division at the Marine and Freshwater Branch in Nairobi duty station, under direct supervision of the Chief, Communication, Advocacy and Outreach, Marine & Freshwater Branch, and in close consultation with Head of UNEP News & Media.

The overall objective of the UNEP's Ecosystems Division is to support countries in conserving, restoring and sustainably managing their terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems, the biodiversity they contain and the products and services they provide for human well-being and prosperity. The Division's mandate is to address the environmental causes and effects from an ecosystems' approach, including consequences of disasters and conflicts. It helps countries develop policies and programmes to respond to ecosystems challenges, and reduce pollution from land-based activities, increase resilience to climate change and reflect linkages between poverty and environment in their development planning. Recognizing and communicating the existence of the three planetary crises – climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution – which put us at risk of irreversibly changing our relationship with the natural world rests at the heart of UNEP’s messaging, research, communications, and engagements. The communication objectives of the Marine and Freshwater Branch advance the target of building towards living in harmony with nature, climate stability, and a pollution-free planet.

Background:

The Ecosystems Division is one of the seven divisions spread in six regional offices globally. The overall objective of the UNEP's Ecosystems Division is to support countries in conserving, restoring and sustainably managing their terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems, the biodiversity they contain and the products and services they provide for human well-being and prosperity. The Division’s mandate is to address the environmental causes and effects from an ecosystems’ approach, including consequences of disasters and conflicts. It helps countries develop policies and programmes to respond to ecosystems challenges, and reduce pollution from land-based activities, increase resilience to climate change and reflect linkages between poverty and environment in their development planning.

Objective:

The Communications Specialist Consultant will implement the communications work for the Marine and Freshwater Branch as below:

Duties and Responsibilities

The Communications Specialist Consultant will be responsible for the following outputs:

Writing and editing of SDG Tracker for SDG14.2 to summarize, present the findings, including status, trends, value and recommendations of the following:

• Kelp report
• Mangrove report
• Coral report
• Seagrass report (2014)
• With potential additional sections on other blue carbon ecosystems, and reference to status, gaps and opportunities within these ecosystems and with particular reference to the Sustainable Blue Economy/Blue Carbon.
• Writing and editing 3rd INTERACTIVE FEATURE of the series – Humanity Living in Harmony with Nature on a pollution free and climate stable planet- on the following:
  • Kelp report +
  • Seagrass report (Combined with 2014 and 2022)
• Ensure editorial / stylistic alignment with WCMC interactive feature on Mangrove and former UNEP interactives on Coral and Pollution to Solution.
• Provide review and recommended versions of KEY MESSAGES for Mangrove report to best articulate the science for wider audiences.

NOTE: The above tasks to be completed for World Ocean Day (June 8) and UN Ocean Conference (June)

• Write and edit, to final, Sustainable Blue Economy brochure and supporting material.
• Editorial review and cut down for final background document to UN Ocean Conference:
• Managing, protecting, conserving and restoring marine and coastal ecosystems.
• Writing and editing of 9 feature stories for the UNEP website / Marine & Freshwater pages / other outlets in accordance with the content calendar.
• Input to creative development for content workstreams for MPA Knowledge Platform.

Qualifications/special skills

• Academic Qualifications: Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in communication, marketing, international relations, other related discipline, is required. A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s degree) in combination with two years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
• Experience: At least 10 years of professional experience with proven strength in communications or work experience associated with this post is required. At least two (2) years in private sector preferably at the international level is desirable.

Language:

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this post, fluency in oral and written English is required, and knowledge of another United Nations language is an advantage.